Wildlife Board Nearly Triples Bison Hunt

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=440 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=headlineblack style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 10px; PADDING-TOP: 5px">Wildlife Board Nearly Triples Bison Hunt</TD></TR><TR><TD class=storytext style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 10px">Friday, August 04, 2006By SUSAN GALLAGHER, Associated Press WriterMISSOULA, Mont. — The number of licenses to hunt bison that wander into Montana from Yellowstone National Park this winter will almost triple from last season, state wildlife commissioners decided Thursday.
In June, the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission endorsed a tentative plan to authorize 100 licenses, double last season's number. On Thursday they added another 40.
The increase will focus on bison cows, making the hunt more of a herd management tool"rather than just tipping them over for trophies,"Commissioner Shane Colton said.
Activists opposed to any hunting of Yellowstone bison said the commission's decision to boost the number of licenses simply worsens a bad idea.
"If you want a public relations nightmare, I think you're moving in the right direction,"said Dan Brister of the Buffalo Field Campaign.
The state considers the hunt part of a plan to manage bison that migrate from Yellowstone and may carry the cattle disease brucellosis, which is present in Yellowstone's bison herds.
Some ranchers fear wandering bison will spread the disease to cattle in Montana, where it has been eradicated.
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Beyond the hunt, a state-federal management plan allows for bison that stray to be hazed back into the park, or captured and in some cases shipped to slaughter. Hundreds have been sent to slaughter this year.
In March, Yellowstone officials estimated the park's bison herd at 3,500 animals. In the bison management plan, 3,000 is the target population size.
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On the Net:
Fish, Wildlife and Parks:http://www.fwp.mt.gov
Buffalo Field Campaign:http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org
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Okay, someone help me out here. I am confused or something. I understand that the Bison were almost extinct from the western days and now through breeding and repopulation they are making a comeback. That I get. I also get the idea that some are free range and some are on ranches. I also get that some carry a disease and some do not. I also get the idea that to control population you maintain a certain number. Now, here is where I get lost on a few items.

First, can the hunters only hunt those that are diseased? Secondly, if the first is right, just how do they figure the ones that have the disease will be known? Thirdly, why would you want to hunt the diseased animals besides culling them. I mean wouldn't the disease affect anyone who eats any of the meat or is exposed to any of the blood?

Any clarification on this would help. Thanks.

"Steal from me and you are automatically enrolled in my weight gain program. Lots of servings of lead to meet your needs."

"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live." Marcus Aurelius

They more crowded they are in numbers the more likey the disease picks up pace.
brucellosis is in wild animals.
dont shoot something that looks sick or acts slow.
I have to watch every year for sick animals while hunting, before i will kill them.
Ive seen some very sick ones from old wounds etc.....

"The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin."

Okay, so when they are hunting them they are trying to decrease the numbers to prevent the disease and might also kill and dispose of the sick ones. Sounds like a plan to me. I will have to study up on this disease. Definitely not eating anything that looks sick to me. If it looks too sick, I may put it down for that reason, though not gonna eat it.

"Steal from me and you are automatically enrolled in my weight gain program. Lots of servings of lead to meet your needs."

"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live." Marcus Aurelius

Okay, so when they are hunting them they are trying to decrease the numbers to prevent the disease and might also kill and dispose of the sick ones. Sounds like a plan to me. I will have to study up on this disease. Definitely not eating anything that looks sick to me. If it looks too sick, I may put it down for that reason, though not gonna eat it.

Click to expand...

A couple of years ago I killed a young buck because I knew that there was something wrong with him. He wasn't the buck I was looking for, that one came by right after dark . He was far enough out, about 200 yards but I could still tell that he was sick. His coat was a rust color, and our deer here are a gray, plus he was moving oddly and I could tell something was wrong with his head. So I put him down, and when I walked up to him he had a giant abscess on the side of his face. If I see a sick deer, or even one really old that is not able to eat (their teeth wear from all of the grinding to the point that they cannot digest their food) I will put it down, I don't want any animal to suffer. I do however love to eat the healthy ones .

I shot a weak looking buck with my bow once .upon killing it and walking up to it I noticed the neck was smelling very bad, I opened the hide to find 10 22lr bullets under the skin part way in the meat, with rotted flesh everywhere.
I reported it and a game officer who then met me there.
I got a new tag the next day at the Game office.
Report sick animals even if you put it down out of mercy, the game dept needs to look at it and determined why it was sick. You dont have to tell them you were the one who pulled the trigger.

"The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin."

Great advice. I would let them know if I ran across a sick one. And I too like a tastey supper of deer. I like a nice deer steak that has been marinated overnight simmered in a brown gravey and served over catheads. Nothing like it. Talk about good eatin'.

"Steal from me and you are automatically enrolled in my weight gain program. Lots of servings of lead to meet your needs."

"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live." Marcus Aurelius

Not to hi-jack the thread, but we liked to fry ours. Take some backstrap, get it well tenderized, soak it in milk, batter/bread with flour and lots of black pepper,then fry it up like chicken fried steak. With mashed potatoes, gravy and biscuits. I can almost smell it right now. We also made our own sausage too. When I was a kid venison was our main meat food ingredient, we ate it all year long. I was a lot healthier back then too...........hmmm.